Background

As the scope of molecular systematics research has grown, so has the need for frozen biological material as a resource for genetic analysis. Moreover, frozen collections have become a critical commodity due to the desire to couple the study of biodiversity to genetic prospecting for useful information and products. Tissue samples that are stored at ultracold temperatures enhance the value of the NMNH collections overall in that they provide resources for the documentation of the genetic diversity of life, and can provide a non-destructive way of collecting and preserving genetic resources representing endangered species. If biodiversity is the ultimate library of the life sciences, frozen collections permit it to be read in the form of DNA sequences. For these reasons, it is important that botanists and zoologists at the NMNH routinely collect frozen tissue samples to add value to more traditional collection and preservation activities, especially when one considers the difficulty and expense associated with collecting natural history specimens.

Meeting the Institution’s Needs

Although our initial goals have been highly focused, it is easy to envision that a well organized effort will catalyze an expansion in scope of Smithsonian genetic resource collections in the form of a first-rate, centralized frozen collection facility at the LAB, so that all Smithsonian genetic resources are securely stored, curated and databased in a standard format. Such a facility might grow to serve other biological units in and outside the Institution, including, for example, frozen tissue samples of rare and endangered species at the National Zoo, frozen collections documenting tropical biodiversity at Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and genetic prospecting collections for the National Institutes of Health. Finally, for the facility to provide world-class leadership and excellence, we envision that the facility’s database could become a coordinated World-Wide-Web accessible, national or global inventory of frozen tissues.

Michael J. Braun, Ph. D.
LAB & Curator of Birds